Lamp finishing machine



Feb. 2, 1937. v. ANDERSON LAMP FINI'SHING MACHINE Filed March 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTR: Vic/QN HMM/wm BY 00m/MMM ,Wmfj Wbt/ ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 2, 1937. v. ANDERSON LAMP FINISHING MACHINE Filed March 6, 1955 2 sheets-sheet .2`

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES ATEN QFIQE LAMP FINISHING MACHINE Application March 6, 1935, Serial No. 9,683

13 Claims.

This invention relates to lamp nishing machines, which deal with the attaching of the base or end member to the glass container or bulb of an incandescent electric lamp, and the subsequent operations thereon; the present invention being directed particularly to an improvement in the mechanism for properly disposing each of the loose leadwires, that is, bending or curling it into its intended position, and preferably severing the excess length of the leadwire, preparatory to the soldering of such bent and severed end to a metallic portion of the base.

As an example of a lamp finishing machine of the kind referred to reference is made to copending application of C. B. Palucki, Serial No. 722,627, filed April 27, 1934. The present invention is illustratively shown applied to the machine disclosed in said prior application, and many features and details are omitted herefrom for brevity, as reference may be made to the prior application therefor.

The general object of the present invention is to improve the leadwire bending and severing operations as to efficiency and accuracy of operation and uniformity of product. A particular object is to provide a bending and severing mechanism which will operate uniformly and accurately upon incandescent lamps notwithstanding certain irregularities in dimension and form of lamps. In other words the mechanism hereof is self-adapting to such irregularities, thus avoiding Well understood difliculties in the art due to inevitable variations occurring in the usual lamps as supplied to the nishing machine. 'Ihe standard lamp base has a recess adjacent to each issuing leadwire, such as a groove for the side wire and a central hole through which the end wire extends, into which recess the Wire is to be snugly disposed; and it has been found that if this recess is slightly offset it may interfere with the bending operation and impair the operation and product. These variations may be due to errors in the relative positions of the assembled parts of each lamp, or to errors in the form of any one or more parts, thus altering to a substantial extent the relation of the leadwires toy the bending and severing mechanism, such error also frequently arising by reason of variations in the chucking of the lamps in the heads of the machine, throwing relatively out of alinement the bending and severing mechanism and the portion of the lamp to be operated upon thereby. The difficulty referred to is more pronounced with the end leadwire and the invention is shown applied to afford a correction thereof.

Other and further objects and advantages will be explained in the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention or will `5l be understood by those conversant with the subject. To the attainment of such advantages, the present invention consists in the novel lead- Wire bending and severing mechanism and the novel features of combination, arrangement and l construction herein illustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an axial vertical section View of a mechanism embodying the invention, with the operating instrument raised or retracted.

Fig. 2 is a section vieW similar to Fig. 1, but only partly in section, and showing the parts in a different position, With the operating instrument advanced or lowered into active relation to the lamp. 2

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevation view looking toward the right sides of Fig. 1 or 2, with the parts in the same retracted position as in Fig. 1; this view corresponding in part with Fig. 7 of said prior application. Fig. 4a is a view similar to Fig. 4 of certain parts omitted from the upper part of Fig. 4, the two gures overlapping and constituting in effect a single figure.

30 F1gs. 5, 6 and 7, on an enlarged scale, are axial sectional views or diagrams showing successive positions of certain parts before, during and after` the operation.

So far as reference characters herein are found in said prior application they refer to corresponding parts, but new or different parts herein bear references not in the prior application.

A conventional lamp is indicated comprising 4 the bulb A, at the upper part of which is assembled and united a so-called base, comprising the screw threaded metallic sleeve C and the metallic button or disk D at the end, the disk being separated from the sleeve by insulating 45 material B. Connected with the lamp filament are the two leadwires, the end leadwire E issuing through the usual central recess or perforation D in the disk D, While the side leadwire F issues between the bulb and the lower edge of the sleeve 50 C, adjacent to the slight or groove F into which it is to be bent. The present invention relates to the bending or curling of any leadwire into its recess, but especially circumferential recess to the curling of the end leadwire E into recess 55 D', the operating instrument being adapted to enter the recess or central hole and there to take part in curling and preferably severing the wire leaving an exposed portion E as seen in Fig.7 snugly adjacent the recess and ready to reoeive a portion of solder.

The assembled lamps are loaded into the successive heads of the machine, wherein the attachment between the bulb and base is first effected, and thereafter the bending and severing of the leadwires, followed by the soldering thereof to the base. Many parts of the machine except those pertaining to the bending and severing of the leadwires are omitted herefrom. As in the prior application there is shown a rearwardly extending fixed bracket |24 formed with a vertical way |25 for the bending and severing instrument |30 to be described. The bracket |24 carries also a horizontal way |26 for an operating rack |55 to berdescribed. Extending above bracket |24 is a vertical extension |2`| from which project upper and lower bearings |28 and |29 constituting vertical guides for parts |33a and |34 to be described.

The bending and severing instrument |30 is shown as comprising a rst or mandrel member |3| and cooperating with or surrounding it a second or relatively rotary member |39, generally similar to corresponding parts in said prior application. The mandrel |3| is preferably nonrotary and takes part in the bending and preferably in the severing; while the member or bender |39 is rotary and cooperates in the bending and preferably in the severing as well; although the mandrel might be rotated with similar effect. In its bending function the member |39 engages the loose wire and curls it around the mandrel close to the base. In its severing function it cooperates with the mandrel to shear oi the excess wire.

As best shown in Figs. 5-'7 the mandrel member is preferably formed with a rounded cylindrical extension or nose |3|a sufficiently small to enter the disk recess D. The wire is to be wrapped about its thicker body above. The mandrel is shaped also to afford a shearing edge |32 cooperating with the member |39 as will be described. Along the lower part of the member |3|, including its extension |3|, is formed a notch or longitudinal groove |32a sufficiently large to accommodate or position the leadwire E, when the nose |3|a occupies the disk recess, as well shown in Fig. 6. Thus the issuing part of the wire is held at one side while its extension is bent around the mandrel.

Fig. 5 illustrates the nature of the irregularities which are frequently found in commercial lamps to be finished. Thus, owing to errors in form or contour, or relative location of the elements of the lamp, the mandrel member |3| of the bending and severing instrument, descending in its normal line of operation shown, is likely to nd the recess D offset as shown, which would tend to obstruct the accuracy of the operation, or even to impair the quality of the operation and product, or damage the latter beyond repair; and frequent recurrences would tend to the injury of the instrument or mechanism.

To the overcoming of these drawbacks the present invention involves a novel arrangement wherein theV operating instrument, or at least the active end thereof, is mounted in a yielding or floating manner, preferably resilient, so that it can adjust itself to the existing irregularity, and thereafter return to normal position. For eX- ample if the mandrel member descends in the position shown in Fig. 5 it is readily able, with this invention, to shift laterally so as to descend correctly into the disk recess, as seen in Fig. 6, without interfering with the operative movements of the instrument.

Referring to the sectional views Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the mandrel member |3| is shown as having a long shank or stem |33 which extends upwardly in a normally axial position, and at its upper end is clamped and anchored within a shiftable slide block |34, above which is a slidable extension |332. These mountings permit the necessary vertical movement of the mandrel member between the position shown in Figs. l and 4, to which, between operations, the mandrel is lifted or retracted and its lowered or advanced position of Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the block |34 sliding in the bearing |29 and the extension |33a in the bearing To afford relative rotary movements between members |3| and |39, the mandrel member and its shank |33 are preferably prevented from rotation, for example, by reason of a groove |34EL in the block |34, engaged by in the bearing |29, permitting vertical while preventingV rotary movements. A spring |36 is inserted between the block |34 and the upper bearing, thus tending always to force downwardly the shank |33 and the mandrel member |3|.

By the described arrangement the mandrel |3| is self-adaptable to variations in lamp base recess position, since the upper end of its shank |33 is anchored in block |34 but the shank itself is a rod which can deect or bend in any transverse direction, the active end of the mandrel thus being resiliently yieldable or of floating character for the stated purposes.

The longitudinally shiftable and rotary member |39 preferably carries both a bending means or hook |40 for bending the wire about the mandrel and a severing edge or cutter |4| for shearing off the excess wire; although manifestly these functions could be separated and other means used for severing the wire. The member |39 is fitted to advance with the mandrel until the latter engages and is stopped by the lamp base, and then to advance further, this relative advance bringing the bender |40 and cutter |4| to operative position, following which the member |39 is rotated to perform both operations closely against the lamp base.

The fittings and actuation may be as follows. The member |39 is extended as a screw head |42 threaded into a carrying shank |45, with a lock nut |42a holding the parts. A collar |43 is clamped on the head |42 by a set screw |44, and this collar carries the wire-engaging hook or bender |40, which is shaped to gather in the wire and wrap it around the mandrel.

The member |39 and its head |42 preferably fit snugly upon the mandrel shank |33, being both slidable and rotatable thereon. To cooperate in the self-adapting or floating action of the mandrel the member |39 is rendered transversely shiftable therewith by reason of its sleeve shank |45 being mounted loosely in an outer rotatable sleeve |459. The inner and outer sleeves are compelled to rotate together by reason of a slot or way |45b in the inner sleeve engaged by a fm or key |45c in the outer sleeve. The bore of the outer sleeve being substantially larger than the inner or bender sleeve the latter has transverse play, as illustrated in Figs, 2 and 3, accommodata key |29aL mounted sleeve or operating ing itself to any transverse displacement of the 'mandrel as illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6.

The outer sleeve 945 constitutes an elongated ring or hollow rotor, preferably mounted against longitudinal sliding but rotatable in the vertical way or bearing |25. For rotating it and thereby the inner sleeve and bender member |39 the outer sleeve is formed with outer teeth |46, engaged by a rack |55 to be described.

For sliding longitudinally the inner sleeve |45 and thereby the bending and severing member |35 the former at its upper end has a circumferential groove |41 engaged by roller studs |48 on a Afork |49 at the end or a rockarm |59, see Fig. 4. The arm |59 is part of a lever pivoted at i5| on the bracket |24, its other arm |52 being connected by rod |13 with operating mechanism shown in the prior application. A spring |53 pulls down arm |50, tending to lower or advance the sleeve |45.

The advance and retraction of the bending and severing member |39 are thus eiiected by timed connections, and this operation actuates also the mandrel member |3|, since the block |34 of the latter is pressed by spring |35 into contact with sleeve |45, the members thus lowering together until the mandrel meets the lamp, after which the other member lowers relatively into bending and severing relation to the mandrel. In this way the actual bending and severing are performed very close to the lamp base as is desirable to facilitate the subsequent soldering.

The rotation of the bending and severing member |39 relatively to the mandrel member |3| is eiected by a rack bar |55, the teeth of which engage the teeth |45 of the outer sleeve |4521. The rack |55 slides horizontally in the way |26 and it has an outwardly projecting stud |56 extending through a slot in a cover plate |51.

By this arrangement the reciprocation of the rack |55 rotates the outer sleeve |45a which in turn rotates the inner sleeve |45 carrying the bending and severing member |39. The timed connections for eiecting the rotation of these parts following their advance to the work may be as in said prior application. A connecting rod |63 is herein shown extending to the stud |56 of the rack from a. lever arm |l, which may be swung by cam actuation in coordination with the actuation of the connecting rod |13 by which the longitudinal movements are effected.

As the initial function of member |39 is the bending of the wire about the mandrel |3| the invention may be considered, without reference to the particular mode of severance, as the combination with means for holding an electric lamp of the kind composed of a bulb and a recessed base, and having one or more leadwires extending from the base, of mechanism for bending such a leadwire into position to be attached or soldered to the recessed portion of the base, comprising a bending instrument consisting of a mandrel member and cooperating bender member, said members being advanceable longitudinally to the lamp base, and the mandrel member being adapted to enter and engage the base recess during bending, and the bender member being relatively movable to bend the wire about the mandrel, means mounting said instrument to receive longitudinal advancing and retracting movements and to yield transversely, preferably resiliently, as may be requisite for the entry of the mandrelk member into the base recess in varying positions of the latter, and timed connections for causing the advancing and retracting movements and the cooperative bending movement of said members. The mandrel iS relatively non-rotatable and has the notch or shoulder |32a positioning the issuing wire, while the bender rotates and so carries the wire about the mandrel close to the base.

The mandrel shank is a long rod and therefore bendable in all transverse directionsv for the ilexible yield or play of the mandrel. The bender has a sleeve shank surrounding the mandrel shank, and exterior means for rotating it while permitting the transverse play and longitudinal movements. Such rotating means comprises the outer sleeve |45a which surrounds the other with cleary ance, with gearing to turn the outer sleeve and a spline or similar connection between the sleeves.

The described objects are thus obtained. Within ample limits for practical purposes, the members |3| and |39, having operative movements as described, have also the transverse yield for the adaptation of the members to variations in the position, so that the mandrel end can enter the base disk hole and ensure proper operations of bending and severing. Broadly the objects are obtainable by any arrangement having provision for relative transverse yield as between the leadwire bending and severing mechanism and the lamp holding means to ensure proper relation of the mechanism to lamps of varying structure.

It has thus been described, in a lamp finishing machine, a mechanism for disposing properly the loose leadwires by bending and severing the same, embodying the principles and attaining the objects of the present invention. Since however many matters of combination, arrangement and construction may be variously modified without departing from the principles of the invention it is not intended to limit the invention to such matters except to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a head having means for holding an electric lamp of the kind composed of a bulb and a recessed base, and having one or more leadwires extending from the base, mechanism for bending such a leadwire into poition to be attached or soldered to the recessed portion of the base and tor severing its excess length, comprising a mandrel member advanceable longitudinally to the lamp base and adapted to enter and engage the base recess during bending and severing, a bending and severing member cooperable with the mandrel member, means mounting said members to vreceive longitudinal advancing and retracting movements and to yield transversely as necessary for the entry of the advancing mandrel member into varying positions of the base recess, and connections for causing the advancing and retractingmovements and the cooperative bending and severing movements of said members.

2. In combination with a head having means for holding an electric lamp of the kind composed of a bulb and a recessed base, and having one or more leadwires extending from the base, mechanism for bending such a leadwire into position to be attached or soldered to the recessed portion of the base and for severing its excess4 length, comprising a mandrel member held against rotation but advanceable longitudinally to the lamp base and adapted to enter and engage the base recess during bending and severing, and having a notch or shoulder engaging and positioning the leadwire, a bending and severing Cal member cooperable with the mandrel member, and having a hollow shank surrounding the mandrel member, and advanceable relatively to the mandrel member, and rotatable for the bending and severing operations, means mounting said members to receive longitudinal advancing and retracting movements and to yield resiliently transversely as necessary for the entry of the advancing mandrel member into Varying positions of the base recess, and connections for causing timed advancing and retracting movements of said members and the cooperative rotary movements of the bending and severing member.

3. In combination with means 'for holding an electric lamp of the kind composed of a bulb and a recessed base, and having one or more leadwires extending from the base, mechanism for bending such a leadwire into position to be attached or soldered to the recessed portion of the base, comprising a bending instrument consist;- ing of a mandrel member and cooperating bender member, said instrument being advanceable longitudinally to the lamp base and the mandrel member being adapted to enter and engage the base recess during bending, means mounting said instrument to receive longitudinal advancing and retracting movements and to yield transversely as may be requisite for the entry of the mandrel member into the base recess in varying positions of the latter, and timed connections for causing the advancing and retracting movements and the cooperative bending movement of said members.

4. In combination with means for holding an electric lamp of the kind composed of a bulb and a recessed base, and having one or more leadwires extending from the base, an instrument for bending such a leadwire into position to be attached or soldered to the recessed portion of the base, comprising a mandrel member and cooperating bender member, said instrument being advanceable longitudinally to the lamp base, and the mandrel member being adapted to enter and engage the base recess during bending, and the bender member being relatively movable to bend the leadwire about the mandrel member, means mounting said instrument to receive longitudinally advancing and retracting movements and to yield resiliently transversely for the entry of the mandrel member into the base recess in varying positions of the latter, and connections for actuating said members.

5. The combination as in claim 4 and wherein the mandrel has a long rod-like shank anchored at its rear end and bendable in all transverse directions for the yielding of the mandrel.

6. In combination with means for holding an electric lamp of the kind composed of a bulb and a recessed base, and having one or more leadwires extending from the base, mechanism for bending such a leadwire into position to be attached or soldered to the recessed portion of the base, comprising a mandrel member and cooperating bender member, said members being advanceable longitudinally to the lamp base, and the mandrel member being adapted to enter and engage the base recess during bending, and the bender member being relatively rotatable to bend the leadwire about the mandrel member, and means mounting said mandrel to receive longitudinally advancing and retracting movements and to yield resiliently transversely to alord play for its entry into the base recess in varying positions of the latter.

7. The combination as in claim 6 and wherein the bender member has a sleeve portion surrounding the mandrel, and exterior means for rotating it while permitting longitudinal movements and transverse play.

8. In combination with means for holding an electric lamp of the kind composed of a bulb and a recessed base, and having one or more lead wires extending from the base, means for bending such a leadwire into position to be attached or soldered to the recessed portion of the base, comprising a mandrel member and cooperating bender member, said members being advanceable longitudinally to the lamp base, and the mandrel member being adapted to enter and engage the base recess during bending, and the bender member being relatively rotatable to bend the leadwire about the mandrel member, said mandrel having a long `flexible shank and a longitudinally slidable block in which the shank rear end is anchored, said bender having a sleeve shank surrounding the mandrel shank, and rotatable thereon, an outer sleeve or ring surrounding the bender shank with clearance affording transverse play of the mandrel and bender Shanks, and means for rotating the bender shank.

9. In combination with means for holding an electric lamp of the kind composed of a bulb and a recessed base, and having one or more leadwires extending from the base, means for bending such a leadwire into position to be attached or soldered to the recessed portion of the base, comprising a mandrel member and cooperating bender member, said members being advanceable longitudinally to the lamp base, and the mandrel member being adapted to enter and engage the base recess during bending, and the bender member being relatively rotatable to bend the leadwire about the mandrel member, said mandrel having a long flexible shank and a longitudinally slidable block in which the shank rear end is anchored, said bender having a sleeve shank surrounding the mandrel shank and rotatable thereon, an outer sleeve or ring surrounding the bender shank with clearance alfording transverse play of the mandrel and bender Shanks, and means for rotating the bender shank, comprising a spline connection between the bender and outer sleeves permitting longitudinal movement of the former and gearing to rotate the outer sleeve.

10. In combination, the longitudinally movable mandrel with its bendable shank, the bender with its sleeve shank surrounding the mandrel shank, the outer rotatable sleeve surrounding the bender sleeve with a clearance to permit transverse bending of the mandrel shank and displacement of the bender sleeve, and a connection between the outer and bender sleeves whereby the former may rotate the latter while allowing its longitudinal and transverse movements.

11. In a lamp finishing machine a lamp holding means for holding the lamp with a leadwire projecting from the lamp base, a leadwire bending and severing mechanism adjacent to such holding means with bending and severing means shiftable to and from the lamp, and said mechanism having a provision for relative yield of the bending and severing means transversely to the shifting thereof to ensure proper relation of said mechanism to lamps held in said means, notwithstanding variations in such lamps.

12. In a lamp nishing machine a holding means for a lamp, a leadwire bending instrument shiftable to and from the lamp and rotatable for bending the wire, and means for operating said instrument, comprising a provision for relative rounding the bender sleeve with a clearance to permit lateral displacement of the mandrel shank and bender sleeve, and a connection between the outer and bender sleeves whereby the former may rotate the latter while allowing its longitudinal 5 and lateral movements.

VICTOR ANDERSON. 

